David Strong of Rex Healthcare Named Corporate Chair For The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night Walk

Urges Local Businesses to Take the First Step to Help Beat Cancer

DATELINE - The North Carolina Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society named David Strong, President of Rex Healthcare, Corporate Chair of its 2012 Triangle Light The Night® Walk, the LLS annual fundraising event held each fall to raise money for cancer research and patient services. UNC Health Care and Rex Healthcare will serve as presenting sponsor for the Walks in the Triangle.

LLS holds walks each fall in approximately 200 communities across the United States and Canada. Participants at the walks carry illuminated balloons - white for survivors, red for supporters, and gold to remember those who have died - to honor and commemorate lives touched by blood cancer. In North Carolina, walks will take place on September 29th in Charlotte, October 13th in Raleigh, October 20th in Greensboro and November 3rd in Durham.

Rex Healthcare has supported The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since 2002 as both a sponsor and one of the events Top Fundraising Teams. Over the past 5 years alone, the Rex Healthcare Walk Team - made up of Rex employees, their families and friends - has raised more than $55,000 to fund blood cancer research and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. "Forming Light The Night Walk teams is a great way to build team spirit among co-workers," said Strong. "I am honored to serve as the chair and look forward to encouraging other local businesses and corporations to get their co-workers involved alongside Rex Healthcare."

The funds raised through corporate and individual contributions help to find cures and better therapies for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease and myeloma, and to provide information, education and support for patients and their families.

"Light The Night Walk gives hope to patients and their families and lets them know they are not alone in their battle against cancer," said Tiffany Drummond Armstrong, executive director of the North Carolina Chapter of LLS.

To find out more about forming a team, sponsoring or participating in a Light The Night walk, contact the North Carolina Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at (919) 367-4100 or visit http://www.lightthenight.org/nc/.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ® (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and provides free information and support services. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in White Plains, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org or contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. www.lls.org.

About Rex Healthcare

Rex Healthcare, a member of UNC Health Care, is a private, not-for-profit health care system with more than 5,200 co-workers. Rex Healthcare has 665 beds (439 general acute beds and 226 skilled nursing) and treats nearly 34,000 inpatients each year. Rex offers dedicated centers for cancer, surgery, heart and vascular, post-acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing care, wellness and women's care plus dedicated services for bariatric, heartburn, pain management, sleep disorders, diabetes education, wound and emergency care. More than 1,100 physicians are on the Rex medical staff. Rex provides various health care services throughout Wake County with facilities in Apex, Cary, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Wakefield and downtown Raleigh. Rex was the first hospital in the Triangle to receive Magnet Recognition, placing Rex nurses among the top 6 percent in the nation. Rex was named one of the top 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare magazine in 2008, 2009 and 2011, and was highlighted as one of the Top 50 Hospitals in the U.S. by Becker's Hospital Review in 2011.